A Head Of Voices
by GLaDOS-01
Summary: Knowing people have hard starts to their stories I decided to write this to try and help. ANYONE can use this, change it, delete some, I don't care, just give me a mention or something. So this starts out as a regular morning and what do I get? A bunch of voices in my head from a universe that shouldn't exist. Great.


**A/N: YOU CAN USE THIS AS YOUR FIRST CHAPTER FOR YOUR OWN STORY! IT WAS WRITTEN FOR THIS PURPOSE! ADD, DELETE, DO WHAT YOU WANT! It was written for fun too.**

I woke up as slow as usual, absolutely no purpose to my movements as I turned over onto my side. I curled up, suddenly realizing I didn't have a shirt on.

Oh, who cares? My little brother was the only one other than me in the house, so why should it matter? I wasn't very self-conscious in the first place, and having a body like mine gave me perfect reason to show off. I didn't normally walk around without shirts on either, but I was apathetic enough to not think twice about it if I did.

I forced myself to sit up, disentangling myself from the incredibly comfortable bed and blankets, yawning. My alarm had just gone off, it being what told me it was time to rise; 10:30 AM. I slipped from my covers and pulled on a pair of shorts, checking the pockets to make sure they had what I usually carried around. Once satisfied, I made my bed and opened my blinds, blinking several times and turning away at the bright morning light.

I made my way downstairs and stepped into the kitchen. I took my pills quickly and decided I didn't want to eat yet; my stomach wasn't a morning person. After seeing there was nothing for me to do, such as chores, I retrieved my computer from my room and sat down in front of the TV. I switched it on and flipped through the guide, hoping to find something on I would subject myself to.

A few minutes later, I found an odd title on the Fox channel: _Imagine me & you_. I didn't bother reading the description, seeing as how nothing else had caught my eye, and selected the channel. It had just started about ten seconds before also, so I wouldn't have to actually piece together a 'what happened before I clicked it' timeline. As the opening credits popped up and such, I activated my computer and continued on one of my stories I was always writing.

Unfortunately, I had little concentration to the story I was writing. See, when you have a TV on, right in front of you with a very interesting plot-thing, it's hard to focus on writing. Especially when that movie was a lesbian romance. Yes, I really did just realize that. What did make me notice were the 'making out' sounds that were extremely feminine. Out of curiosity and confusion, I glanced up and realized that there were, in fact, two women making out in a floral shop.

With furrowed brows and a shrug, I returned to my writing, determined to get through the next planet. I was currently working on a Mass Effect SI, so you could imagine what craziness I was getting myself into. Well, my character representation, obviously, but…

…

Around three, I stood from the couch, setting aside my computer, and stepped into the kitchen. Unfortunately, there weren't any waffles left in the freezer, so I'd have to get the last pack from the basement. I hated the basement with a fearful passion, and I had good reason; it haunted me. The damn thing always watched me wherever I was down there, it's pressing presence gnawing at me. Worst of all though, was that at night when I'd go downstairs for something it was twice as bad. I wasn't really afraid of the basement itself, but I was cautious of the strange feelings I got while down there.

Sighing, I made my way downstairs.

Suddenly, I felt a zap resonate throughout my body, making me jump and fall to the floor. The jolt had been so strong I hadn't been able to keep myself from falling face first into the floor.

Slowly, I rose to all fours, taking steadying breaths as I held my growling stomach with a hand.

"_Arrgh! What the fuck!"_ the sudden voice in my head made me tense. Had I just gone insane? And why did that voice sound so familiar?

"_Where are we?"_ another familiar voice went off in my mind, this one less aggressive and calmer. I moved to stand once more, getting my bearings.

"_Why can't I control my own body?"_ yet another voice asked, mostly to herself. I looked down at myself and stared at my hands to make sure I was still me, and then patted myself just in case. Several gasps and shocked sounds emanated from my head, making me think I had an entire party up there.

"_This isn't my body!"_

"_This isn't any of our bodies! We're all stuck in one!"_

"_How is that possible?"_

"_What happened?"_

"_Human bodies feel strange, Shepard!"_ that one statement caught me so off guard, I froze in place. I kept from saying anything- even ceased to breathe. The realization of who these voices were sent a hammering through my chest as adrenaline kicked in. My body began to shake from the sudden overload of chemicals and I ignored more surprised gasps as I forced myself to walk toward the tool room.

"I don't feel very good…" I groaned quietly, still clutching my stomach.

"_Strange. Body senses our collective presence. Trying to acclimate."_ Mordin's fast speech wove in my head, telling me all I needed to know.

"_Well sure, but how did we get… here?"_ Shepard's (female) voice asked, thoughtful.

"_Strange architecture; unknown, Commander."_ The salarian scientist answered. I didn't know who was all in my mind, but I definitely heard a lot of them. At least two Krogan, and you all know who those two are.

I got to the freezer and pulled out a pack of waffles from the freezer. I took two of my mocha drinks from the fridge for later, and so I wouldn't choke on my food once I started eating.  
This experience would be extremely odd, and it already was, but I had a few ideas to make it interesting. I smiled wickedly and chuckled darkly as I walked along the basement, back up the stairs.

"_Why did she just laugh like that?"_ Tali's voice wondered, definitely a tad freaked out. As I reached the top of the stairs, I heard Jake walk down from the direction of our rooms. We almost ran into each other since our staircases met beside of each other. Of course, he only had his boxers on, as usual. I sighed and led the way into the kitchen, throwing the waffles down along with the drinks, then pulling sausage out of the fridge.

"Want some waffles or southwest rolls?" I asked Jake. He hummed something akin to the rolls parts, so I grabbed them out of the freezer. He went ahead and sat down at the island, both of our stomachs growling in unison.

"_Seriously, who is that hottie?"_ I registered Kasumi's voice as well, obviously referring to Jake. I set up the microwave and toaster for the waffles and rolls, figuring I could wait with the sausage.

"_What ancient technology is that?"_ Miranda's incredulous voice asked. I yawned quietly and laid my elbows onto the top counter, waiting for the food to finish.

"_Ah. So that is what a yawn is like. No wonder humans do it so often; it is quite satisfying." _Shit. Now EDI was in my brain.

"Caity?" I straightened to look at Jake questioningly. "When are you going to take me to GameStop?" he asked, giving me the equivalent of a puppy-eyes look. I ruffled his hair and pulled out two glasses to pour the milk in for the both of us.

"After we're done eating and you actually get some clothes on." I answered, pulling the milk out. He hummed in his own way and seemed to space out a bit afterwards, staring at his shotgun and fidgeting with the release. Dad had given it to him before he passed away a year before, along with most of his other weapons; barely legal.

"_At least we're in a chick's body. Being a guy would just be… eck." _ Ashley's voice mused, getting sounds of approval from some of the voices.

"_At least you were already human…"_ Garrus sighed, most likely a little wierded out. My food finished and I set up the plates, gave Jake his food, and then popped in my sausages. I poured him a glass of milk as well before stepping into the family room to see the TV's current program featured a special on the Vietnam war.

"I still don't understand…" I muttered as Jake walked in to sit in the large brown chair. He looked at me questioningly, silently asking me to continue.  
"Sure, it's bad that people die and all, but I don't understand why they stick every war on the TV in the history of humanity. It's annoying, really; only two things- tragedy and drama- are ever on." I explained, getting an approving nod from him. I grabbed the controller and started to flip through the channels, looking for something at least mildly entertaining.

"_Shepard, this technology is most closely set in the early twenty-first century." _Chakwas mused, definitely surprised as well. I decided to throw them a bone.

"Doesn't GOW 3 come out next month? I think the post said it would be September something, 2011." I said, getting a nod from Jake as he took a bit from a roll. Immediately, screaming and panic ensued in my head, making me flinch slightly.

It wasn't another four minutes before they calmed down. We finished eating, then turned off the TV to clean up. We both headed upstairs and entered our respective rooms, closing the doors to have some privacy. I sluggishly dragged myself along, still in a state of shock from what was happening. I was pretty sure I had gone crazy, but Jack's colorful language and Legion's odd observations were such that I wouldn't have come up with them myself.

I grabbed a pair of shorts, my favorite jacket, a fitting tank top and my awesome sneakers. I donned them quickly, and then realized I hadn't brushed my hair yet. Dreading the realization of what I looked like (to the others in my mind), I found myself filling my shorts pockets with what I needed first. I didn't put on my shirt, happy to have a militarily fit body, and stood in front of the mirror. I grabbed my brush before looking at my own reflection, my eyes naturally going to the jagged scar across my eye. There was a silence as everything sunk in, then 'whoa's sounded off from several people.

I knew my sharp features and wavy crimson hair made me look scary, but it ran in the family. My eyes were intense and a vivid gold that naturally shifted when under altered conditions. Sometimes, they would change with emotion, but only if it was strong. My scar made me look even more imposing as well, but if someone were to know the story behind it, they would cry with sadness instead of cringe with fear.

I sighed and quickly brushed my hair, then put the brush away and donned the rest of my clothing. Jake walked in right when I was picking up my shirt though. He only said to hurry up and went straight to my katana, picking it up. I got my shirt on, then pulled on my jacket before picking up a bottle of water and chugging it down. What can I say, I was thirsty.

Jake and I headed downstairs and left the house. I locked the door behind me, getting a few archaic comments from my new friends. At least, from what I'd gathered, Shepard was a paragon. Though, she had a strange sense of humor- similar to mine, though I'd not admit it. I slipped into the driver's seat of my car- a Viper, by the way- and Jake took the shotgun seat. I'd gotten the Viper because we lived in an old part of town and it was normally abandoned, offering plenty of room to speed.

"Let's get some music on." I said, pulling out my CD case. I handed it to Jake, then started up the car and pulled out. Some more comments from my IFs, but I brushed them off, excited at the prospect of showing them just what driving I could do. Not to brag, but I had skills.

Jake threw in a CD, and immediately, I knew he'd put in my 80's mix. I began my driving, and, thankful for my voice, I sang along with the songs. Jake did as well, but our favorite came on once I was already on the interstate. She's My Cherry Pie faded in and I couldn't resist the urge to sing to it. Jake upped the volume and we both sang wholeheartedly to the song, grinning like fools.

"_It may be ancient, but I like this song!"_ Shepard said, getting many agreements from the others. I smiled even wider and as we stopped at a red light, Jake and I looked to each other, singing. As the father came on, we glared at each other and talked with his words. Then, we returned to our manic grins and sang along.

Soon, the song ended and we pulled up to GameStop.

"No more than ten minutes." I said. He nodded, and then got out of the car. He had said he was just getting some new game or whatever. Since I didn't need anything, I decided to stay in the car.

"_At least she isn't boring."_ Kasumi said. I smiled to myself and pulled my phone from my pocket. Coincidentally, it started ringing when I did so. I flipped it open without looking at the caller ID, just to have it as a surprise.

"Hey, I'm so happy you finally answered, I've been calling for days now!" I held in a groan at the cheery voice and forced a believable chuckle.

"Yeah, sorry about that; my phone had run out of batteries last week and I procrastinated in charging it. What's up?" I asked.

"You won't believe this, but I'm totally at your house right now!" Flowers happily exclaimed, making a dreading shiver run down my spine.

"Seriously?" I asked, trying not to sound hopeful it wasn't true.

"Yeah, I'm on your porch! Oh, but your car's gone, where are you?" she inquired.

"Jake got me to bring him to GameStop so he could get a game that came out. It shouldn't be long before we're back home." I said. She squealed happily and said a quick 'bye' before hanging up. I sighed and leaned against my steering wheel; Flowers was the last person I wanted to see at the moment. She loved to get in my space- and that's an understatement.

"_I wonder who this girl is."_ Kelly's voice wondered. Great. I had a shrink in my head now… no pun intended.

"_Maybe she has a Conrad, eh Commander?" _ Ashley's suggestion got a groan from said Commander. Jake jumped into the car then, a smile on his face and a bag in his hands.

"Finally! Okay, I got F.E.A.R 3 for me and Dragon Age 2 for you, along with a point's card and a DLC for ME." He said. I took the DA case from him and saw that it was one of the pre-order only types. After thanking him, we pulled out and headed for home. This time, we were listening to my own mp3 player. Airplanes came on and I sang to Hayley's lyrics while Jake took B.o.B's. we were both bobbing our heads as well, adding to the effect of the music.

"_What is the male doing?"_ Wrex asked confusedly, reminding me I had aliens in my head as well. No one seemed to have the word for it, so I guess they just decided to listen. The next song to come up was Ashley, by ETF. I smiled to myself at the prospect of singing to it and making fun of the one in my head- I ended up doing just that.

"_Shadows fall on yesterday  
It's like time just slips away  
I'm nothing  
When darkness follows me  
The dawn it never shows it's head  
I'm left dying here instead  
With nothing  
A lock without a key_

_Like the brightest star you shine through_  
_Ashley baby, you make me feel so alive_  
_I've got purpose once again_  
_Yeah, yeah_  
_Ashley baby, you make me feel so alive_  
_I've got purpose once again_  
_Yeah, yeah_

_If looks could kill you'd be the one_  
_That takes my world and makes me numb_  
_I'm nothing_  
_Without you I can't breathe_  
_And as the sunlight burns the sky_  
_I see through my obsessive eyes_  
_I'm nothing_  
_Without you I can't see_

_Like the brightest star you shine through_  
_Ashley baby, you make me feel so alive_  
_I've got purpose once again_  
_Yeah, yeah_  
_Ashley baby, you make me feel so alive_  
_I've got purpose once again_  
_Yeah, yeah_  
_Yeah, yeah_

_You're the strength I need to fight_  
_You're the reason I still try_  
_I'm the moth and you're the light_  
_Use these wings so I can fly_  
_I can fly_

_Ashley baby, you make me feel so alive_  
_I've got purpose once again_  
_Yeah, yeah_  
_Ashley baby you make me feel so alive_  
_I've got purpose once again_  
_Yeah, yeah_  
_Ashley baby, you make me feel so alive_  
_I've got purpose once again_  
_Yeah, yeah_  
_Ashley baby, you make me feel so alive_  
_I've got purpose once again_  
_Yeah, yeah_  
_Yeah, yeah_  
_I've got purpose once again_  
_I've got purpose once again"_

I couldn't stop the mocking smile I no doubt had on, as I drove. There was a silence in my head, then, suddenly, everyone but the one I sang to, burst out into laughter. I smirked; satisfied I had been able to make fun of at least one of them so far. Maybe I could make funny comics or paint some of them- thank god I had super artistic skills, right?

"I love that song. Ashley's always been an influence, but this song says it better than I do." I said, adding wood to the flame. Now, if only I could figure out if anyone's with someone else…

"Me too. Do you think said Chief would like this song if you sang it to her _in person_?" Jake wondered, having no idea the panic he was causing in my currently chaotic mind. There was so much screaming and teasing, I had no idea what was happening anymore.

"I'm not sure, what do you think?" I asked.

"I've always liked her, but alas, my heart belongs to someone else." He said, faking a dramatic pose. His wide grin was contagious and I knew who he was talking about.

"Ah, yes, I know who you're speaking of. You should write a song for Kasumi, you know; she'd love it." I said. Instantly, the teasing went onto Kasumi, who, I might add, was happy to hear the news. Jake and I had played all three games, and we both had favorites.

"Oh, but what about you and Miranda?" Jake exclaimed, gripping my shoulder, still smiling. I chuckled in response to his joke. We sometimes liked to talk of the ME characters like they really existed in our lives, but… well, today actually had them. And I could almost feel Miranda's blushing glare, along with Ashley's as everyone else teased them.

"Quiet you…" I said, blushing a bit as well.

"Well, why don't we go somewhere and get your head out of the clouds? Maybe that Bush Gardens down the road?" he proposed. It was a good thing we were friends with the owner; he let us go whenever we wanted for free. Only problem was, I didn't feel like going.

"No, I'm fine. DA 2 will get me back to relative normalcy." I said. There was a silence.

"Caitlin, you don't have to-"

"Really, I've gotten over it. There's no use in wallowing in a pit of despair, right?" I cut him off, tired of the conversation. What we were talking of was something that had happened only a few weeks ago. I still had scars from it, and not all of them were on my body.

"Just hear me out! If you keep your emotions bottled up inside- like you always have- it'll…" he trailed off, but I knew what he was saying. I would snap one day and if- when- it happened, there wouldn't be any way to come back from it.

"I'll be fine, Jake. Just like I always have." I was embarrassed that we were having this conversation with everyone in my head listening in, but it couldn't be avoided.

"Maybe, but you're not invincible- even if it seems like that all the time. I haven't seen you _actually_ smile since before you were what? Two?" he said. I took a breath and just kept driving.

"I don't know how to anymore, little bro. I can't say I feel enough to care about it." I answered his unspoken question.

"Sometimes your lack of emotion kills me, sis. It's worse knowing you always fake everything, as believable as those masks are. You can take them off at least around me, you know?" he said, patting my thigh.

"Since when were you such a sap?" I smirked cynically, changing the subject since I was growing increasingly uncomfortable. I was never good at speaking of my emotions- or lack thereof.

"I'm just saying." He said, putting his hands up in surrender. "Since we're on a 'changing subjects' roll, why don't we go back to our BAMF friends?" he offered. I smirked to myself at the sheer coincidence of the situation.

"Okay. Let's start with our favorite convict." I said happily, glad to hear a shocked silence in my mind. It was odd, but I could almost sense what they were feeling and such. Almost.

"Jack's so funny!" Jake laughed, no doubt recalling something she said in the game.

"I love her sense of humor. Sarcastic and pissed off does wonders for the mood. No matter what people say, I can't bring myself to think of her badly in any way!" I said.

"I know! You hear people going on about how she's crazy or evil or whatever, but I can't see how she's mean at all." Jake agreed. I chuckled, knowing Jack was hearing every word.

"Of course, people always say we're evil and psychotic as well." I conceded, smirking to myself.

"Us? Evil and psychotic? No!" Jake was being a tard again. I smiled slightly at his dramatic display.

"We definitely have our moments. Though, peoples' definitions of evil and psychotic are just pathetic." I muttered.

"Alright. Miranda." Jake offered.

"I love her! Whenever I hear someone say she's the Ice Queen, I want to punch them in the face!" I announced, tightening my grip on the steering wheel.

"I could understand it when it was back when Shepard first woke up after the first Normandy blew up since she was so business-y, but after that one conversation I warmed up to her pretty easily." Jake said, rather diplomatically.

"Maybe, but I can't say I ever didn't like Miranda. Oh, I had to keep myself from grinning like a fool when she snubbed TIM in the face too!" I added.

"I loved that part! It gave me an all new respect for her." He agreed.

"Let's go with… Wrex." I said with a grin. Jake chuckled to himself; I knew he loved Wrex.

"He has got to be the most badass Krogan I've seen. I love his comments too, they crack me up!" he said. I smiled in return.

"Yeah, remember that time we rescued Liara at the Prothean ruin?" I said, grinning.

"Oh, yeah! 'If I die in here, I'll kill him!'" he did his impression of Wrex's voice, and since Jake already had a deep voice he could pull it off well.

"_They've got you down flat, buddy!" _Shepard laughed. I could just picture her pointing a finger at him while he frowned and growled in a corner.

"Okay, how about Grunt?" I said.

"He's a BAMF too. Remember the picture you drew of him and Shepard?"

"How could I not? It was cute." I said. Several confused sounds went off in my mind at that, but I knew they weren't talking since they were waiting for Jake and me to call them out.

"Thane somehow reminded me of Paw Paw." I said.

"Yeah, it was probably the 'terminal disease' part. Only difference was, Paw Paw died from it alone. At least Thane had his son, and Shepard too."

"It was too late for Paw Paw. We had to watch as he slowly died, day after day for almost a year." I finished quietly. "Anyway, let's move to… Ashley." I said, getting us back on track.

"She was cool and funny, what with her sarcasm, but the 'distrust of aliens' thing made me sigh."

"I know what you mean. I still love her though. She really wasn't so biased by the time we took Saren." I said.

"Yeah. How about Liara?" Jake asked.

"She's adorable! I loved her lack of social skills so much! Whenever she said something embarrassing, I couldn't resist the wave of cuteness that overtook me!" I chuckled, feeling my cheeks warm a bit. Jake laughed as well.

"_I have social skills!" _Liara argued. I could picture her blush just as well, making me laugh harder.

"_It's okay, Liara; we accept you for who you are." _Ash said, still making me laugh. Everyone in my insane head then joined in.

"Me too, but when we got to Illium…" he trailed off with a despairing sigh.

"I know it's hard to believe… but when I got there and spoke with her… she managed to make me cry." I admitted.

"I remember that! She caused you to actually seep into a pit of despair until she… _apologized_." His extremely suggestive tone no doubt gave my new friends some perverted ideas. And it was true, in the games, I did romance Liara. Every time.

"Same with Ashley. I cried and everything when we got to Horizon." I added. "I cried with sadness."

"It was depressing just looking at you. You saw the both of them almost in succession and the result was the only real emotional state I'd seen you in, in years." He mused. I sniffed, remembering the day I went through the second game for the first time.

"Okay, let's get to something less heart wrenching, shall we? Samara." I said, keeping to the asari theme.

"But that _is _heart wrenching. Still, she was like the mother we never had. With epic skills." Jake said, smiling.

"Yeah, she really was." I agreed. "Favorite Matriarch along with Aria and Aethyta." I smiled, recalling each respectively. Maybe I should've added the Consort because she was cool, but she raped me (Shepard) so…

"Garrus?"

"He was cool, but the drama kind of annoyed me, what with Sidonis and crap." I said.

"I know, but he was still awesome." Jake said. "Tali."

"She's adorable too! She had to be the sweetest person I've ever met. And she was the only one that didn't change! Mostly. Either way, I'm glad she stayed with us on the second Normandy. And third." I said.

"_I feel like the Normandy blew up so many times, but it was only once." _Shepard said, sounding a little sad. I smiled apologetically at it but said nothing of it.

"Tali was adorable, that's a fact. Of course, I was a little sad when she was so adamant about the Geth being evil and all. They only defended themselves. And after the Quarians left their home planet, the Geth decided to protect and care for it." Jake said.

"It was the heretic Geth that were following Saren. But then, everything worked out in the end back at Rannoch. Anyway, let's move to… Kasumi." I said. Now that I thought of it, how was everyone in my head? If I wasn't just crazy then how did they all know each other and how were they all alive? Weird…

"She's mine, I tell you!" Jake declared. I smirked at the display and shrugged.

"Yeah, I know that already. She speaks for herself though doesn't she? Epic Japanese thief." I said with a small smile.

"She's the best. Oh! Paint me a picture of her." Jake ordered, poking me in the shoulder.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because!" he whined. "I want a big one with lots of detail!" he added. I sighed.

"It'll take me hours to finish it." I grumbled. "My carpal tunnel syndrome will act up again too." I said. At Jake's angry silence, I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I sighed. He stopped poking me and relaxed, saying only a 'thank you' in the process.

"Kelly is cute too. I almost went into a Bloodrage when she was taken." I said.

"Me too. Though, the dancing part was… unexpected." Jake said. I hummed in response, understanding the sentiment. I couldn't say I liked that part, but Kelly was cool enough to have fantasies, I guess.

"Legion was cool. His comments were humorous at times."

"Yeah, he was a good guy. EDI was awesome too. Her dark humor kicked Joker in the ass a few times." Jake chuckled. I smirked in response and nodded.

"Joker and EDI bickered like an old married couple." I said, getting a few snickers in my head.

"_We do not!" _the pilot yelled. When did he get there?

"_I have heard similar comments among the crewmembers, Jeff." _EDI replied, getting a huff in return.

"Zaeed was funny too. I liked the way he talked." Jake said.

"_Goddamn kids…" _the old mercenary muttered, saying nothing more.

"Yeah, his accent added to it too. Mordin's way of talking was entertaining as well. I never really had a problem understanding what he said, even if it was fast paced." I said.

"Yeah, me too. Jacob was a pretty good guy, but…" Jake trailed off, knowing I knew what he was saying.

"But the priiiizzzeee." I drawled, smirking mockingly. More snickers went off in my mind at the comment.

"_That's my line." _Jacob pouted.

"_Just about the only one." _Miranda retorted, getting more laughter up in my nutcase.

"Dr. Chakwas was pretty cool too, especially when we got to the second Normandy. Get me my Serrice Ice Brandy!" Jake said, mimicking Chakwas' accent a bit.

"I noticed she got a sudden influx of fans after that happened." I mused. "Oh, and we can't forget my Commander Shepard; the paragon of ages. Hm. I just came up with that…" I mused, getting a chuckle from Jake. I couldn't tell what was funny, but I chose to ignore it.

"Ah, how could I forget? You love her so much, it's almost painful. But you're right, she's awesome. She's like the sister I never had." He said, earning a full-on punch to the face. I hadn't even taken my eyes off of the road.  
"I was just kidding, jeez!" he grumbled, most likely glaring at me.

"I will go GLaDOS on you if you don't stop, Jake." I warned, no doubt confusing the people in my head further. There was a silence as we drove down the road to our house.

"Honestly, you're scarier than her sometimes…" he muttered, sounding convinced and thoughtful. I chose not to say anything as I pulled into our driveway, seeing Flowers and a few of my other friends waiting impatiently on my porch.

"_So, I'm guessing they're her… friends?" _Kasumi wondered. I clenched my teeth a bit but said nothing as I turned the car off and I and Jake got out of said car. Before I could even take more than three steps though, I was tackled by Flowers, Jennifer and my little sisters.

As they all hugged me tight and squealed with joy, I stood there, bearing it while pretending to be at least a little happy they were there.

…

Once we finally got inside and settled, it was decided my sisters would share my room with me and my two friends would take the guest room downstairs past the family room. I had gotten a lot of comments from the voices in my head as all of that was going on as well.

I made lunch for everyone since it was later than we thought it would be already, and that took another hour and a half of slaving over the stove and grill. In the end, I had made steak and eggs with toast and sausage. We ate it all, and it was really good, let me tell you.

…

At the end of the day, around midnight, I trudged upstairs to my room. With a yawn, I slowly began changing into my night tank top. I never wore pants or shorts in bed though, because I got hot really easily. I wasn't sure how it would go down with my mind's new companions, but I didn't care. They felt what I felt, and if I was comfortable, even if they complained, I knew they were comfortable as well.

Two of my younger sisters were just coming in to get ready for bed as well. I slid into my covers and got in just the way I always did, pretty much guaranteeing a comfortable position once I stopped moving. And that's just how it happened. Once I stopped moving I was super comfortable. I let out a satisfied breath and closed my eyes to let my sister change in peace.

A minute or two later, I felt the covers on the other side of my bed shift, then move down slightly. That told me one of if not both of my sisters were getting into bed with me. It was odd since they weren't the cuddling type, but I didn't react as Syria, my second, snuggled into me, clinging to my tank top tightly. I cracked an eye open and gave up trying to speak since I was so comfortable and tired.

_Well, she took the risk; might as well reward her_, I thought. With that in mind, I raised my arm enough to lift it above Syria's body, then brought it down to rest behind her so I was, essentially, holding her.

"_Aw. Caitlin's so nice." _Even without being able to tell with the voice, I'd have known it was Kelly who said that just by the words. In the morning, I may be telling them I did, in fact, hear them, but now, I just needed sleep.

"_How is it that we can feel what she feels, including emotions, but she has no idea we're here?"_ Shepard wondered, her voice telling me she too was tired. I guess, in a sense, they were me in a way.

"_Single conscious mind occupied by unknown variables; perhaps causes brain the block out unknowns. Complex mind; difficult to know for certain." _Obviously, that was Mordin. But if they knew even what my emotions were, then they'd know what I was truly feeling even when I put on masks. And they would know the gnawing emptiness I felt at my gut all the time. Would they then know what I feel and understand it since they still didn't have my memories? I doubted it.

Still, it wasn't like it mattered. I'd never meet them face-to-face anyway. Right?

…

As my body's internal alarm went off, I awoke the feel of someone on top of me. I cracked my dry eyes open to see it was Syria, fast asleep in my boobs. Hm. How was I supposed to get up and get to my appointment without waking her up when I moved her? Well, let's just hope she was a heavy sleeper.  
Slowly, gently, I slipped my arms under her arms and rolled over to my side so she was as well. I let her go and extracted myself from the bed and looked at the clock to see it was six in the morning. I tucked Syria back into the covers so she wouldn't be cold, and then got dressed. The voices in my head were as groggy as I was as well, and it was a little funny to hear Jack cursing me and the morning.

I easily got ready in less than five minutes, and then went downstairs. I refused breakfast once again and grabbed one of my drinks from the fridge. I took out three bottles from the upper cabinet and set them on the counter, taking a pill from each, respectively. I put the bottles up and opened my drink, looking down at the large pills. I picked them all up and popped them into my mouth at once. Immediately, I took a large swig from my drink, sending the pills down my throat; unfortunately, they were so big, they went down slowly, crawling along my pipe leisurely. I ignored the uncomfortable and medical questions/ comments, walking to the door.

I got into my car and turned it on with a sigh. I hooked my mp3 into my car's radio and turned them on. Oddly enough, the track to start was one I didn't quite recognize until it was too late. I'd downloaded the paragon female Shepard genesis backstory onto my mp3 player, so when Shepard's voice came through the speakers, I jumped and fumbled with the controls with shaky hands, switching it to something random.

"_Was that just me…?" _Shepard wondered quietly, earning no answer in return. I breathed a small sigh of relief; I didn't quite want them to know they were from a game yet, so… Strangely, my heart hurt a little bit. Sure, I loved Shepard's voice, but still…

I set off then; the song to come up was feeling it in my bones. I decided to sing along for the hell of it, and to wake up my voice. Luckily, the voices in my head liked the song enough not to complain. Too much.

…

I finished singing to ETF's This War Is Ours as I parked in front of the hospital. Turning off the car, I stepped out and locked the doors. I went through the entrance and signed in, then sat down. Not two minutes later, I was called into the back by a random nurse. She led me down a hall, and then my doctor met up with us and took me to my room. I decided not to change into the rather uncomfortable paper apron and sat on the edge of the bed. Two seconds later, my doctor walked in and went to her chair, switching on her computer. A minute later, she pulled up a chart-thing and glanced to me with a small smile.

"Let's get these questions over with, hm?" she said, earning a nod from me. She turned back to her computer then, and read the first off the list.  
"Do you take or have ever taken drugs?"

"No."

"Do you take medication currently?"

"Yes."

"For what?"

"Depression and ADD."

"Let's see here… are you currently sexually active?" she asked, with a slight blush. I was confused at that, but said nothing of it as I answered.

"No." I answered, getting shocked comments from my friends upstairs, along with something akin to annoyance from Jack. I had forgotten she liked to get frisky or whatever. Oh well.

My doctor looked over to me then, finished with the questions and such. She stood and walked straight to me, getting close enough to nestle her hips between my knees. She took the stethoscope from her neck and pressed the cold metal to my chest, firmly yet gently, a small smile at the corner of her lips.

"In." she said. I breathed in deeply. "Out." I breathed out, long and slow. She moved the stethoscope around a bit and we repeated the process. She then moved it to my back and moved it around as I breathed in and out a few times.

"Sounds good. Lay down…" she said quietly, bracing her hands on either side of me, on my chest and between my shoulder blades, gently pushing me down. She removed her hand from my back at the last second and pressed it to my stomach. She poked me in my side and stomach, making me blow out small laughs in the sensitive areas, especially around my hips.  
"Ticklish?" she asked humorously, smiling down at me.

"Sensitive!" I groaned with a small smile as she poked, purposely stronger at the curve of my right hip. She smiled wider and chuckled, then let go to pull at my underwear. She quickly glanced at it, then let it go, sending it to slap my skin with a small sound to prove it. She stepped towards me again, and looked down with a soft smirk.

"Alright, then…" she smirked, turning her light thing on and waving it over both my eyes. Then, she took the ear thing and got me to sit up. Once I was up, she stuck it into my left ear, causing me to sniff lightly. After that, she came to my other side and stuck it into my right ear, making me shiver a bit. After that, she removed it from my ear and sat at her desk again.

"_How primitive." _Chakwas frowned, no doubt bothered.

"_Come on Doc, it's almost two-hundred years before our time." _Shepard said, speaking smoothly.

"_Don't try that charm on me, dumpling, it won't work!" _Chakwas then retorted. Wow. Dumpling? I had to hold in a laugh at that one.

After a small explanation of my health, she stood once more and handed me my clothes from behind me. She left then, and I dressed quickly before she came back. When she walked in, she tossed me a dark chocolate Milkyway with a knowing smile. I opened it right away just as my stomach growled loudly, causing me to blush in embarrassment as Jane, my doctor, just broke out into mirthful laughter. I donned a small smile and devoured the candy quickly.

…

Once I was back into my car, I yawned and turned it on, along with the radio and my mp3 player. The song to come up was Gorgeous Nightmare by ETF. I didn't sing to it as I pulled out, but upped the volume with a small smirk. As I rode home, my phone began to ring. I fumbled to find it once I stopped at a red light and turned down the volume as I accepted the call. Putting the Bluetooth in my ear, I turned it on.

_"You're needed for another mission, Bahamut."_ The male tone said from the other line. I clenched my teeth and let out an inaudible breath.

"You know I'm retired, General. Get someone else to save the world for once." I almost-snapped, moving to hang up. What he said next though, stilled me.

_"It's Kate."_ He said. I froze. No way… Kate died on my last… For a few moments, I sat still in shock. I pursed my lips and swallowed, grimacing for a few seconds before opening my eyes once more.

"Give me the details." I said with a sigh. I hadn't ever thought my past would catch up to me.

_"She was sighted a week ago by our satellites, at an airport in Afghanistan; no doubt coming home. Unfortunately, she was also found by the Afghani forces. They took her before she could get away, and now, we need your help getting her back."_ Worry assaulted me in waves, along with rage and concern.

"Fine. I'll need transport." I caved in, knowing this would bite me in the ass. Even so, I couldn't just let Kate die, or worse, just to save my own ass.

_"It's good to have you back, Bahamut. You're the best agent this agency- maybe even the whole world- has ever seen."_ he was evidently smiling in approval, and as he finished, I switched off my phone. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel painfully, intent on getting to the house so I could pack.

…

"Why again, why do you have to leave?" Solaria demanded, her voice shaky. I sighed and turned to her once I threw the last of my bags in the car.

"I don't have a choice. It isn't like I want to go!" I said, only making the others angry.

"What kind of a boss do you have? Doing this to his secretary in the middle of a holiday!" Syria threw her arms into the air, her teary eyes telling me more than I wanted. I had never told them what my real job was, and I couldn't say I was happy about it.

"It'll be fine, you guys, I won't be gone for long, alright?" I offered a small apologetic smile, only making Jake's angry expression intensify as he glared at the ground.

I gave them all hugs, knowing I wouldn't see them ever again. With the mission I had, I knew I was going to die: I was going to trade myself for Jane before they did anything to her. Wordlessly, I got into the car and pulled out of the driveway to start for my transport's location.

After a few minutes of silence, I came to a red light and let out an inaudible sigh. My grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly and I narrowed my gaze on the road as my brows tensed, drawing close together. As the general's words came to the surface of my mind, I figured I'd let those in my head know what was going on.

"Bahamut…" I scoffed quietly, understanding the myth behind the name. "Since when was I used for 'justice'?" I whispered, glaring out of my window now, as I drove along. "I'm just another killer." I chuckled bitterly, feeling the sting of the truth as all of the faces I'd snuffed out resurfaced in my memory.  
"After what happened, I swore to the general I'd never be a part of his agency again. But here I am anyway, heading towards my new mission." I muttered darkly, feeling my stomach growl angrily.  
"And for what? What's the great Bahamut's plan this time?" I asked myself, pulling into a Burger King drive-through. I ordered my food and began eating as I drove away.  
"My plan…" I whispered, thinking through all of my options. A few moments later, I came to a conclusion. "My plan this time is to take Kate's place." I muttered. After a moment, I blew out a chuckle. "Who knows? Maybe being a martyr for once would do me some good." I smirked, knowing how much of a contradiction that statement was.

Now, it was time to listen to everyone's panic.

…

As they spoke their native language, which, by the way, I understood, I stood still, unarmed. Soon, Kate was brought out, and luckily for them, not a scratch marred her beautiful skin. I had made it clear to them that they either treat her well or they be set upon by a nuke; obviously, they chose the former. They untied her binds as she realized I was standing not ten feet away from her, tears already pricking her eyes.

Once they fully released her, she ran to me. The instant she reached me, she threw her arms around me and held tightly, burying her face into the crook of my neck. I looked to them and sent a signal, telling them it would take a moment. Surprisingly, they kept still, waiting patiently. I could almost tell they all had boners just from looking at their faces.

"I told you I'd never allow you to be hurt, didn't I?" I muttered, feeling her tighten her grip as a small sob escaped her throat.

"B-but you'll-"

"Shh, it's okay… As long as you're safe…!" I said, struggling to keep my emotions in check.

Soon, my team took Kate safely away, heading straight back home. They all knew what I was doing, and after I had literally beaten the fact into their minds that I wasn't coming back the night before, they obeyed. In doing so, I was saving all of them their lives and a lot of trouble.

It didn't take long for me to be bound and tied, only to be dragged to the 'interrogation' unit.

…

The soldiers pushed along the gross 'hallway', ordering me to walk faster in their native tongue. How rude. I gave myself up willingly and they still had no manner whatsoever. Not that I hadn't expected it. Still, it was hard to walk all bound up and beaten from the three days of interrogation they'd inflicted on me. Man, they really knew how to hurt people, I won't lie.

At least I hadn't given up information yet. Still, the worst part of it was having voices in your head, you thinking you're crazy while you're being tortured, and all for one person.

Even so… I loved Kate. I would do so for her, my former teammate, any day.

"_I've had enough of this." _Shepard growled. Her moods weren't helping either. Every time someone dunked my head or shocked me or some such she got madder and madder. Funny thing was, they only felt a little pain I did. It ultimately spared them, whether real or no, equal agony.  
_"How can we stop this?" _she asked someone, sounding determined.

Stop it Shepard. You're just a voice in my head.

"_**You want her, then?" **_the sudden deep, contemplative voice caught me off guard. I would've jerked back in surprise if I wasn't so stiff and sore.

"_Yes, just get her out of there!" _Shepard snapped. Jeez, she was really going at it. I guess even my subconscious didn't like being tortured, huh?

"_**Very well." **_The voice answered, almost amused.

Man, at least I had something to think about to distract from the pain. Whatever my brain came up with it was all screwed up. I mean, ME characters? Weird voices? I really was cra-

My mind suddenly shut down then, blackness overtaking my vision.

**A/N: (Sorry if the military references or ME timeline had too many holes. Caitlin wanted to do this for fun, and since she's hopped up on painkillers it took a while.) Corey. (So if you have issues with it or it went too fast, I'm sorry.) Corey. Hey. (She kept getting distracted.) COREY! (What?) Hug me, I'm lonely. *hold out arms invitingly* (I've been here the whole time.) I'm still lonely! Hug me now! (Idiot… *hugs anyway*) Mmmm…. *thinks hard as hug continues* (What?) You're not as comfy as HB. *let's go of saddened big brother* (Like you'd know!) I would. She's this tall… thiiiiis pretty… and thiiiiiiiiis… um… shmexy! I remembered, don't worry. *slurs as if drunk* (Whatever. You still wouldn't know.) Yes I would! (Where have you seen her then?) MY DREAMS! Duh! (I don't even know what to say to that.) Hey. (What?) You're not writing everything I say right now are you? (… You told me to write everything you say.) Stop! ! She can't know! You can't tell HB! Erase! Erase! (Hey! Stop! You're-sdhcrori)G +3h**


End file.
